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Independence, MO —
A year ago, Janice Bingham sought assistance from Community Services League in helping her youngest child – a senior in high school – get the supplies he needed for the new school year.
But on Saturday, Bingham found herself on the other side, volunteering her time at CSL’s Central Headquarters in Independence, and giving back to those families and the children who received backpacks, school supplies and tennis shoes for the new academic year.
“This is a place where you can come and you can benefit from it,” Bingham of Independence said, smiling. “It’s a place where everybody comes to get help, and I enjoy the staff members here – they are really great working with you. This year is my first year volunteering because for years, I’ve been coming here, and I decided I wanted to give back to the community. This is the best place to start.”
The annual Back to School Fair, which assisted about 750 children and 500 families across Eastern Jackson County, went smoothly despite the high volume of clients served. That’s because the new headquarters on North Noland Road, now in its second year of operations, allows staff and volunteers to distribute the supplies and tennis shoes in one day, instead of having to spread it out over three separate days, said Doug Cowan, director of development and acting executive director for CSL.
“A complete surprise” until Saturday morning, Cowan said, Mid-Continent Public Library donated at least one new book for each child coming through CSL for school supplies. Leftover books from the Back to School Fair will be retained as part of CSL’s inventory and will be given as Christmas presents, Cowan said.
In 2011, CSL distributed 1,800 backpacks – that number jumped to more than 2,000 this year. About 150 children went on a waiting list to receive backpacks from CSL.
Initiatives like the Back to School Fair can help get to the core of poverty and can encourage self-sufficiency since education is often a means toward gainful employment, Cowan said. While it sounds simple to most, sending children off to school with a backpack and a new pair of shoes can give them a sense of belonging in a school setting, Cowan said.
“They don’t need to be reminded that they are poor,” he said, “and school, unfortunately, has a way of doing that to people, especially kids. ... This is really a core thing that we need to do to help families break out of that cycle of poverty.”
A year ago, Janice Bingham sought assistance from Community Services League in helping her youngest child – a senior in high school – get the supplies he needed for the new school year.
But on Saturday, Bingham found herself on the other side, volunteering her time at CSL’s Central Headquarters in Independence, and giving back to those families and the children who received backpacks, school supplies and tennis shoes for the new academic year.
“This is a place where you can come and you can benefit from it,” Bingham of Independence said, smiling. “It’s a place where everybody comes to get help, and I enjoy the staff members here – they are really great working with you. This year is my first year volunteering because for years, I’ve been coming here, and I decided I wanted to give back to the community. This is the best place to start.”
The annual Back to School Fair, which assisted about 750 children and 500 families across Eastern Jackson County, went smoothly despite the high volume of clients served. That’s because the new headquarters on North Noland Road, now in its second year of operations, allows staff and volunteers to distribute the supplies and tennis shoes in one day, instead of having to spread it out over three separate days, said Doug Cowan, director of development and acting executive director for CSL.
“A complete surprise” until Saturday morning, Cowan said, Mid-Continent Public Library donated at least one new book for each child coming through CSL for school supplies. Leftover books from the Back to School Fair will be retained as part of CSL’s inventory and will be given as Christmas presents, Cowan said.
In 2011, CSL distributed 1,800 backpacks – that number jumped to more than 2,000 this year. About 150 children went on a waiting list to receive backpacks from CSL.
Initiatives like the Back to School Fair can help get to the core of poverty and can encourage self-sufficiency since education is often a means toward gainful employment, Cowan said. While it sounds simple to most, sending children off to school with a backpack and a new pair of shoes can give them a sense of belonging in a school setting, Cowan said.
“They don’t need to be reminded that they are poor,” he said, “and school, unfortunately, has a way of doing that to people, especially kids. ... This is really a core thing that we need to do to help families break out of that cycle of poverty.”
Madison Savage, 14, volunteered Saturday with her church, Woods Chapel Bible Fellowship. Madison, who will be a freshman at the Blue Springs Freshman Center, said she offered her time because she loves children – she even helped parents pick out the best color and style of available backpacks based on their child’s gender and grade level.
But Madison did more than just hand out school supplies: She also saw a couple of her classmates pass through, receiving assistance, which she said initially shocked her.
“It’s kind of hard sometimes when I see people I’ve gone to school with, who I’ve walked by in the hallway and haven’t even said ‘hi’ to,” Madison said. “It’s – a lot of times – really convicting because, you’re like, ‘I didn’t even know that this was their situation. I didn’t even know that this was going on.’ It’s just eye-opening.”
Although she still receives some services from CSL, Bingham said she was able to get back on her feet during a time of disability because of CSL’s assistance with food and clothing, as well as a mentor relationship from Bruce Bailey, CSL’s Noland Road site manager.
“It’s like a family-focused center,” Bingham said. “If you don’t want to stress about your problems, you can always come here and forget about them when you walk in the door. The atmosphere, is like, ‘Welcome. Welcome, here, this is your home.’ I just love the place. It’s a great place to be.”
